Ann Arbor schools will not fill vacant deputy superintendent position

Posted on Thu, Feb 28, 2013 : 5:55 a.m.

Ann Arbor schools will not fill vacant deputy superintendent position

By Danielle Arndt

Previous coverage: Ann Arbor deputy superintendent resigns to join former district leader Todd Roberts in N.C.

Ann Arbor Public Schools Superintendent Patricia Green has decided not to fill the district's top financial position and intends to review how the district is organized, she announced in an email.

Robert Allen

The email was sent to staff members Monday after the district returned from mid-winter break. Deputy Superintendent for Operations Robert Allen notified the district Feb. 15 that he had accepted a position with the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics.

Allen will serve as vice chancellor of the school under former AAPS Superintendent Todd Roberts, who left the district for North Carolina in 2010.

Allen's last day at the Balas Administration Building will be March 8. His last official day of employment will be March 22.

"Robert has served this school district significantly and valiantly for the last six and one-half years," Green wrote in her email. "…His commitment, his dedication and his leadership have been truly appreciated by the board, by myself and by the community for all he has done. His legacy will live on long after he leaves the Ann Arbor Public Schools, and I hope you will all join me in wishing him well in his new endeavors..."

Director of Finance Nancy Hoover will serve as chief financial officer and will lead all of the financial operations for the district, while the organizational structure of the district is examined "as we continue to face serious budget reductions," Green said.

Green added at Wednesday's school board meeting that Trustee Glenn Nelson, who serves as board treasurer, will be meeting with Green and Hoover regularly as Hoover steps into her role as CFO.

Executive Director of Physical Properties Randy Trent also will serve in an additional leadership role, Green said, taking over several other areas that Allen was involved in, such as transportation and the information technology department.

Allen was one of two administrators given a raise last school year. The Board of Education approved increasing Allen's pay by 7.2 percent, from $130,556 to $140,000, in December 2011. At that time, Green made the argument that the raise was necessary to retain good employees and to bring Allen's pay to a level more consistent with other districts.

Danielle Arndt covers K-12 education for AnnArbor.com. Follow her on Twitter @DanielleArndt or email her at daniellearndt@annarbor.com.

Comments

Craig Warburton

Thu, Feb 28, 2013 : 5:53 p.m.

We were paying him $140 ,000 and he left anyway to work for Mr Roberts ? You can't make a good school system by throwing money at a situation. A good school system grows from good leadership. It has been a long time since Ann Arbor had Any sort of reputation purporting greatness. I suspect he went because of mr Roberts, not a few bucks. The school board better get on be stick soon. The excesses they threw at our new supertintendant has worked out well hasn't it. Over budget, too many staff, national coverage of football/boxing, busses flipped over, open one day when no One else was and closed the next when everybody else wasn't , Yeah, this has turned out real well.

Basic Bob

Thu, Feb 28, 2013 : 4:44 p.m.

I'm sure Trent and Hoover are in ideal positions for 2 am raises.

DJBudSonic

Thu, Feb 28, 2013 : 2:31 p.m.

Is it me or is his picture sideways?

Danielle Arndt

Thu, Feb 28, 2013 : 3:42 p.m.

Woah, it is. And I'm honestly perplexed as to how that happened! I'll be fixing that!

olddog

Thu, Feb 28, 2013 : 12:57 p.m.

They are NOT replacing him because he is irreplaceable. He was a voice of sanity in the darkness.

Chester Drawers

Thu, Feb 28, 2013 : 1:59 p.m.

Then why did it take the 'voice of sanity' an entire semester to report a $2.5 million budget overage to the BOE?

DJBudSonic

Thu, Feb 28, 2013 : 12:13 p.m.

Glad to hear it I think it's time to knuckle down and work harder to keep the schools in the black. See how it works without him before we go on another salary motivated hiring spree.

KJMClark

Thu, Feb 28, 2013 : 12:06 p.m.

This is a little confusing. Mr. Allen was the Deputy Superintendent for Operations. That's not the top finance position. Director of Finance Nancy Hoover will take over the CFO position? What's the difference? Yes, a re-org is in order, since it sounds like there's a Title-mill operation going on at the administration. Geez, does Superintendent Green have a few extra titles too? If she has fewer people reporting to her, does she take a pay cut? Are the people taking over Mr. Allen's work getting pay raises to do it?

Nick Danger

Thu, Feb 28, 2013 : 11:09 a.m.

good move